e-Learning – an Internet Success Story

In recent years, the internet has opened up a world of opportunity for learning in various ways. One of the most beneficial to companies and staff alike is the emergence of e-learning platforms for training. Businesses can implement these so that staff can constantly be improving their qualifications and work-related knowledge at their own pace. This reduces the pressure on both the worker and the business when it comes to the cost and time related to staff training.

Classroom or online?

E-learning has many benefits over traditional classroom learning. The cost savings can be significant, as businesses are not limited to a fixed time and the associated costs of providing the learning.

Whilst of course it will always remain a fact that training costs money, this can be reduced for both the firm and the worker by implementing online learning. This does away with the need for staff to be away from the office and cuts down on expenses such as travel and meals.

There are many online learning software providers to be found and it’s unlikely that any business would struggle to find a solution. Training can be taken in the cloud, or via a CMS which has a training solution integrated into it. For those with particular needs, there are plenty of options for finding bespoke e-learning packages where the software is tailored specifically towards the individual needs of a business and its staff.

What is a LMS?

A common choice for creating staff training portals is through what’s known as a Learning Management System. With the ability to be implemented enterprise-wide, this is especially suitable for larger organisations. These can be fully branded so that they become just another aspect of the company intranet and can be integrated with existing systems. A good e-learning provider will be able to work with the company and advise how this can be carried out with an initial consultancy. This can then be hosted on the company intranet’s servers, or at a secure data centre (in the cloud) by the e-learning provider itself. The benefits of the latter are that support is always on hand and it’s likely to be more secure than many on-site installations. This is because data centres generally have excellent security, backup and disaster recovery plans in place than you would usually find at a place of business. When selecting an LMS, be sure to pick one that has been built with business learning at its core. The right set of tools will save you a great deal of time in administration and ensure your select a LMS that has the reporting capabilities you require to glean powerful insights into your employee and company learning plans.

E-learning moves faster

According to a report by Jennifer Salopek in Training and Development Magazine, “e-learning courses progress up to 50 percent faster than traditional courses”. This is because as it targets individuals, rather than providing blanket learning, it allows learners to skip through material that they already know very quickly. It also does away with mixed messages when it comes to teachers. A classroom course will often use more than one tutor and this can cause inconsistencies when it comes to learning. However, an e-learning course that has been specially designed by the company won’t do this.

E-learning allows for courses to be updated easily and in real time, doing away with the need for costly assessments to be undertaken. It’s also thought that e-learning can lead to better retention of the subject matter and a stronger all-round grasp of what’s been learned. This is because e-learning platforms allow multimedia to be used in order to reinforce the message and these can be replayed or returned to in order for the learner to really get to grips with it.

These are just a few of the benefits that can be enjoyed with e-learning. It’s an all-round win-win situation for both employers and employees. E-learning courses do away with many of the time and money constraints that are seen with classroom-based learning and so are rising in popularity with enterprises all the time. Today’s technology means that it’s never been easier than it is now for companies and individuals to make the most of the opportunities presented to them with regard to training. This benefits the enterprise in all of the ways we have discussed here, but it also opens up a new pathway for those looking to further their careers.